The Haiti Crisis

The tragedy and trauma that is going on in Haiti right now is on a scale few of us in our comfortable homes can imagine. David Brooks, in an excellent NY Times editorial Friday, points out that the enormity of the devastation reveals much about the developed world's ineffective efforts to meet the real needs of impoverished peoples around the globe during the past century.
Brooks' essay, The Underlying Tragedy, begins by comparing and contrasting the results of this earthquake to the 7.0 shaker that struck San Francisco during the 1989 World Series. Less than 100 were killed there and in this one they estimate fifty thousand, and counting. The difference in outcomes between these near identical quakes reveals some difficult truths about the disparity between various parts of the world.

"The first of those truths is that we don’t know how to use aid to reduce poverty. Over the past few decades, the world has spent trillions of dollars to generate growth in the developing world. The countries that have not received much aid, like China, have seen tremendous growth and tremendous poverty reductions. The countries that have received aid, like Haiti, have not.

In the recent anthology “What Works in Development?,” a group of economists try to sort out what we’ve learned. The picture is grim. There are no policy levers that consistently correlate to increased growth. There is nearly zero correlation between how a developing economy does one decade and how it does the next. There is no consistently proven way to reduce corruption. Even improving governing institutions doesn’t seem to produce the expected results."

Here's a second hard truth, according to Brooks... "micro-aid is vital but insufficient. Given the failures of macrodevelopment, aid organizations often focus on microprojects. More than 10,000 organizations perform missions of this sort in Haiti. By some estimates, Haiti has more non-governmental organizations per capita than any other place on earth. They are doing the Lord’s work, especially these days, but even a blizzard of these efforts does not seem to add up to comprehensive change."

American doctors, mission organizations and food organizations have been sending help to Haiti for decades. In my Wednesday commentary, I cited a young Iraqi war veteran who devoted some time at a Catholic mission there. Brooks, however, raises a good point. The compassionate sacrifices of ten thousand organizations has not changed Haiti's future from hopeless to hopeful. Why is this?

His third hard truth brings additional light. "As Lawrence E. Harrison explained in his book 'The Central Liberal Truth,' Haiti, like most of the world’s poorest nations, suffers from a complex web of progress-resistant cultural influences. There is the influence of the voodoo religion, which spreads the message that life is capricious and planning futile. There are high levels of social mistrust. Responsibility is often not internalized. Child-rearing practices often involve neglect in the early years and harsh retribution when kids hit 9 or 10.

"We’re all supposed to politely respect each other’s cultures. But some cultures are more progress-resistant than others, and a horrible tragedy was just exacerbated by one of them."

Much more can be said on this point alone, but I'll save that for another space in time. You can read the rest of Brooks' commentary here.

More Mysteries of the Universe

The other day, when I wrote about A Unified Theory of Everything, I mentioned that I've been listening to The Compleat Idiot's Guide to String Theory. If nothing else, books like this are a good reminder of how little we know about the universe we inhabit. It's humbling. But the mental stimulation is fun, too.

For example, what if at it's basic essence the universe is digital and everything is simply binary code? And what if this code was being stored on a hard drive somewhere, and backup copies of the code were being stored on backup drives? And what if we were living in a universe that had been stored on a backup with a corrupted drive, which explains why so many things are so messed up? This could also explain the feeling that there are parallel universes.

No, that wasn't in the book. But there are a lot of things here that are hard to get your head around. Like Black Holes. Or the idea that the universe is expanding and actually has an outer edge. This concept is just too much.

Einstein's efforts to explain everything kept running into mysteries like Black Holes. And what is dark matter? How do scientists come up with this stuff? Here's an explanation from the superstringtheory website:

According to estimates of how much mass would actually be needed to keep the average galaxy from flying apart, it is now widely believed by physicists and astronomers that most of the matter in the Universe is invisible. This matter is called dark matter, and it's important for cosmology.

If there is dark matter, then what could it be made of? If it were made of quarks like ordinary matter, then in the early Universe, more helium and deuterium would have been produced than could exist in the Universe today.

It amazes me how scientists can talk so authoritatively about such esoteric knowledge.

One section of the book was throwing around numbers about the size of the universe and this itself escapes comprehension. If light travels 186,000 miles per second, think how far does it go in a year? Now imagine 47 billion light years. Sounds pretty far out, doesn't it? If you travelled half way to the end of everything, you might start feeling pretty lonely out there.

The Milky Way alone is but one whirling galaxy of 100 billion or more stars and there are more galaxies out beyond this than we can count. Current estimates hover around 10 Catiline, or 10 trillion billion, give or take a few. And all of it is in motion, even though those stars we can seem pretty fixed from where we sit, moving so fast away from one another that even this is incomprehensible.

Mix in questions about quantum gravity, 6-dimensional Calabi-Yau space, brane collisions, Ekpyrotic Theory and the Big Splat, spacetime, event horizons and supersymmetry and what is going on here?

At the end of the day there are more important questions, the kind that make pop music a great source of comfort, questions like, "Will you still love me tomorrow?" and "How can I be sure?"

Ten Minutes with Painter Adam Swanson

For a relatively small city Duluth has a fairly active arts community. There are, however, a finite number of spaces where one can show one's work, and once you start poking around you will quickly see who's actively seeking venues to display.

Ever since my show at The Venue last summer I have been returning each month to see who else is making pictures. It was there that Adam Swanson's bicycle paintings first caught my attention. Like some of my own work, he paints on masonite. And it is clear that he loves the whole process of painting in the same way that Diebenkorn or Picasso is "painterly." I then saw a few of his pieces at Lizzards, and currently his work is decorating The Red Mug, another high profile space in a very artsy setting in Superior, across the bridge.

This week I contacted Adam to see if he had time for a short interview whereupon I learned of his circuitous route to Duluth. And like most of the artists I have, their lives are as interesting as their work.

Ennyman: You mention that you are new to Duluth this past year. Tell me about your life before coming to Duluth?
Adam: My life these past 10 years has been fragmented into a variety of short, semi-related sections. Before coming to Duluth last February, I spent a year abroad. After living for 3 years in Ithaca, NY working as a book and manuscript conservator (and painting) I moved to Antarctica for a 9 month contract position fixing and working on boats used for science. The contract left me in South America where I spent a few months traveling. I eventually landed in MN last January, looking to set up shop somewhere to work on my art. I began at a cabin on the north shore of Lake Superior and finally found a spot in Duluth to work on art full-time in February. That lasted (and it was good) until August, when I started working at my current job.

Ennyman: What do you do for a living to support making paintings?
Adam: I am a bartender at Zeitgeist Arts Cafe.

Ennyman: What is your opinion of the current art scene in New York?
Adam: I don't know much about it. I like conceptual art quite a lot. In fact, concept is one of the main things that holds me in a work of art. Seeing art in New York usually excites me because with so many people, there are so many ideas floating around. I have been to New York City about a dozen times and always find something that makes me think about things in a new way. There is so much art to see in the whole world however; it is important for me to be engaged and I love it when I can key into a few personally meaningful ideas.

Ennyman: When did you first become aware that you had a desire to paint?

Adam: I have been making art since I was a child and began to take it more seriously during my undergraduate degree in studio art at UMD. I paint now because it's the best way I can think of to make imagery that grabs people and expresses some of my ideas. I like to paint because it is a meditation that I have on an idea. Painting is something I am working on getting better at, so that I can communicate more clearly. But I really love all art forms and would love to get into something else someday. Sculpture or film perhaps.

Ennyman: Who were your biggest influences as you pursued a life as an artist?

Adam: Vincent VanGogh, Andrew Goldsworthy, Talouse Lautrec, Robert & Shana ParkeHarrison (Architect's Brother), Edward Gorey and of course there are many, many more.

Ennyman: What's the story behind all these bicycle paintings?

Adam: Firstly, I love bicycles. Bikes are a symbol of human ingenuity to me. I believe they have character and are very lovely, efficient machines. If I could paint people better, I would probably paint them in their place much of the time. When I make my work I am primarily focusing on our natural universe and the human place within it. Bikes are also a great way for me to experiment with my technique. They are complicated objects with lots of little bits and pieces and it has been fun to (try and) pare it down to minimum components. Most of the bikes I paint are of friends or loved ones. Many are of the 1969 Schwinn Cruiser my dad gave me. I have put a lot of work into it and I love the way it looks.

Ennyman: Why the decision to paint on masonite panels rather than canvas?

Adam: I like the texture of masonite. The texture of canvas has always been something I struggled to get rid of. And I never roll it up, so having a painting on a board is roughly the same weight and shape as having it on stretched canvas. Masonite is cheap and sturdy, and often made of recycled materials. I have thought about painting on birch or some type of wood, to lower the acidity (though I am not sure it would). But masonite always seems to be so much flatter and straighter. And I gesso it up pretty good before painting. I think my paintings are fairly archival...? I take photos of all of my paintings, because the end image is really important to me. I would like to have better photos.

Ennyman: What's your current situation with art/work/life?
Adam: I live in Duluth in Central Hillside. I live with my girlfriend and we are getting ready for a baby. I have a studio in my house, where I work at least a few hours a day. More on my days off. And looking forward to having a couple of months again before my next show to do some more experimenting.

Note: To catch Adam Swanson's paintings in person, be sure to visit the Red Mug in Superior during the month of January. If that doesn't work for you, because you live in Portugal or maybe Brazil, visit www.adamswanson.com and see why many people are finding his work exciting. And, for the record, his themes include more than just bicycles. Check it out.

Our Hearts Must Go Out To Haiti

While checking in on Twitter to see what the response to Haiti was, I did not see Haiti listed at that moment. American Idol was there. No surprise. I think American Idol would be a top trending topic even if World War III were unfolding and missiles falling. What surprised me was to see Pat Robertson as a top topic. This was strange, until I saw what the buzz, or rather outrage, was about. It’s too bad he didn’t just cite, “The rain falls on the just and the unjust” and ask for help for these anguished peoples. Rather, he said in effect, they had it coming.

The wonderful service of Christians to the hurting and needy is well documented throughout history, from the Franciscans to the Underground Railroad to the Red Cross and the countless efforts of unheralded local churches. Sadly, history has records of other less noble responses to need. The Irish Potato Famine, but one example, resulted in the death of millions because Christian leaders in the British Parliament argued that the famine was an act of God and that it would go against God’s will for Britain to extend mercy by providing food to the starving. These are, sadly, historical facts and indeed damage the reputation of the church.

With embarrassment and pain I recall to mind how when the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed in 2001, more than one Christian rejoiced because it was a sign of the end times. I share this with a heavy heart because it is in such contrast to a central feature of Jesus' ministry, whose compassion for those who were suffering caused Him great anguish.

When Jesus saw suffering, He had compassion. Matthew 9:35,36; Matthew 14:13,14, 34-36.

In late 2007 I wrote about a young Iraqi War vet who, after returning from service, went into one of the very neediest ghettos of Port-Au-Prince to help a Catholic outreach there. To get a handle on how needy this nation was even before this week's quake, you may wish to read my blog entries titled A Baby Ripped His Heart Out and A Trip to the Morgue.

Let's be sober minded today and remember those who have been less fortunate than ourselves.

A Unified Theory of Everything

I don't know if you have been paying much attention to what's been happening in the sciences since we went to school (am talking to old codgers like me for the moment) but a lot has changed since our high school chemistry class in the Sixties. I'm referring generally to the attempts by physicists and scientists to explain how everything in the universe is connected, and the research being done to prove these theories about what holds the universe together, why it is what it is, etc.

What got me stimulated here is the book I started reading yesterday, The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory. The book's description begins with the statement "Everything is connected."

We’re living in the midst of a scientific revolution that’s captured the general public’s attention and imagination. The aim of this new revolution is to develop a “theory of everything”—a set of laws of physics that will explain all that can be explained, ranging from the tiniest subatomic particle to the universe as a whole. Here, readers will learn the ideas behind the theories, and their effects upon our world, our civilization, and ourselves.

One way to look at the problem goes like this. What are objects made of? Molecules. And what are molecules made of? Atoms. Now that is as far as we got in chemistry class when I was in school, trying to understand the behavior of electrons, protons, and neutrons. But many of us did have a nagging question. What are electrons, protons and neutrons made of? Science is getting into the theoretical here, but their answer is quarks. Then the question is, what are quarks made of? At this point, string theory enters the picture.

According to Wikipedia, "String theory is a developing branch of quantum mechanics and general relativity with the aim of merging and reconciling the two areas of physics into a quantum theory of gravity. The strings of string theory are one-dimensional oscillating lines, but they are no longer considered fundamental to the theory, which can be formulated in terms of points or surfaces too."

We're talking about super tiny stuff that can't even be measured or seen, but which physicists are striving to measure and make sense out of. The website http://www.superstringtheory.com/ is a good place for getting a handle on the current research, with answers and explanations to questions presented in both layman's and scientific terms. "Think of a guitar string that has been tuned by stretching the string under tension across the guitar. Depending on how the string is plucked and how much tension is in the string, different musical notes will be created by the string. These musical notes could be said to be excitation modes of that guitar string under tension." (So, the universe is a miniature Rolling Stones tour?)

"In a similar manner, in string theory, the elementary particles we observe in particle accelerators could be thought of as the 'musical notes' or excitation modes of elementary strings.

"In string theory, as in guitar playing, the string must be stretched under tension in order to become excited. However, the strings in string theory are floating in spacetime, they aren't tied down to a guitar. Nonetheless, they have tension. The string tension in string theory is denoted by the quantity 1/(2 p a'), where a' is pronounced "alpha prime"and is equal to the square of the string length scale.

The reason scientists are so excited about all this is that they have a conviction that a properly conceived understanding of string theory will help explain the way the universe works, including black holes, quantum mechanics, space and time. The need for a suitable unifying theory is that current theories have contradictory aspects which do not satisfy all the questions they raise.

A lot of it has to do with relationships. For example, on first blush there does not appear to be any relationship between the full moon rising on the horizon and an apple falling from a tree. But we know now, thanks to Newton, that the theory of gravity has a bearing upon the behavior of both.

35 years ago or more I used to ponder the relationship between these four things... a tree, the sun, a butterfly and laughter. Think about that for any length of time and it really blows your mind. How different these things are. Two are different forms of life. Both of these are dependent on the sun. Think of the size differentials and how different the various substances. Then add laughter. Laughter is totally different, yet it is something that exists. Where did laughter come from?

I think it is interesting that in the Old Testament story of Abraham, God told Abraham to name his son Isaac, which meant laughter. The child was product of a miracle since Sarah was beyond child bearing years by decades. The name reveals something about the character of God, who created this universe of suns and butterflies and trees.

My own first foray in developing a unified theory of everything concluded then with the conviction that the common denominator in everything was God, who created it all.

As for string theory, it looks like The Complete Idiot's Guide is going to be a good read. It's like I'm playing "catch up" on four decades of research since my high school daze. What an amazing universe... and time to be part of it!

Dylan Daze Getting Positive Reviews

Don't confuse Dylan Daze with Dylan Days. Dylan Days is an event in Hibbing that "happens every spring", not unlike the migration of birds north or the start of a new baseball season. Dylan Daze is the title of my small collection of Dylan paintings, drawings and memorabilia, now on display in a showcase at the Superior Library.

Library director Nora Fie gave me a call last summer after seeing my show at The Venue @Mohaupt. She said the library had begun using its display space for showcasing local artists and would I consider it? I said yes, of course. She gave me the dimensions and I considered that a part of the challenge. At The Venue I had hundreds of feet of wall space. My display area here measured in inches.

No problem. Like solving a good word puzzle, it's just a matter of focus.

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT
Due to the space limitations this is an incomplete collection of my Dylan paintings and drawings. I was actually surprised at how many pieces I had created over the years. It certainly wasn't intentional... until now, perhaps. I still have a half dozen others that either didn't make the cut or will be displayed at The Thirsty Pagan this coming weekend.

Additional features of the Dylan Daze exhibit: the walls of the showcase have been lined with pages from the 1938 London Times. It seemed like a good tie-in to The Times They Are A-Changin', the cover image one of the paintings is based on. Another feature is that my "Dylan Wall" of clippings and memorabilia (above right) has been dismantled. For years I had been stapling newspaper clippings and magazine covers featuring Dylan to a section on the wall of my garage, which doubles as an art studio from spring to fall. The interplay between these clippings and the pieces themselves makes a fun pursuit as your mind weaves new connections between the art and the events.

If you're in the neighborhood, I do hope you'll check it out. The library is open daily till 8:30 and on Saturdays from ten to two. It is my hope that this is enough to make you wish to see more. Any painting may be purchased, though the newspaper clippings and magazine covers are from my personal collection of memorabilia and not for sale.

At this time, two pieces here are available as limited edition giclee reproductions. Dylan II, the large framed piece on the left based on Dylan’s Times They Are A-Changing album cover is an acrylic wash on paper with an ask price of $1950. Signed, unframed giclee prints are $200.

The large central 2’ x 3’ panel is based on another iconic Sixties Dylan image and is also available in a limited edition giclee 16” x 24” reproduction. The first ten will be sold for $300 apiece with the remaining 90 in this limited edition set being $400.

At this time I also have a dozen paintings on display at Starbucks in Downtown Duluth if you are over on that side of the bridge.

The Red Scorpion ~ Chapter 2

SHORT STORY MONDAY

Yesterday, while organizing in my office I came across a journal entry from January 1995 making reference to this story. "Began Red Scorpion yesterday... this feels like the beginning that will last."

I ended up writing this section of the books in three different styles, as a diary, as a first person account and as a third person account. Today, it is what it is.

The Red Scorpion
-2-

Comstock sat at an outdoor cafe adjacent to the main plaza, El Zocalo, sipping a large concoction of jugo de tamarindo, a sweet thick juice squeezed from the brown, beanlike fruit of the tamarind tree. His third day in Mexico, he had become increasingly aware of the passage of time. His first two days were spent in leisurely excursions about the city, consumed with a curiosity similar to a boy turning over fallen logs in the woods seeking salamanders and snakes. Now he was becoming anxious about how to achieve his objective. The days would pass quickly. He berated himself for having already wasted two.

A small band of peasant musicians playing an assortment of primitive flutes, whistles and drums had gathered in the street in front of the cafe. A group of children began marching around in circles making whimsical movements, whimpering and bouncing like puppies overeager to see their masters. Another group of boys was working the tables selling Chiclets to the tourists.
Comstock recalled how the incessant begging had disturbed him during his first trip south of the border. By the time he left he had grown weary of the burros, mongrel dogs, roosters, strange smells, gritty eyeballs and clashing colors that seemed to throw themselves at him from every side. He was tempted to think that first trip had been a mistake and a preposterous waste of time.

Afterwards, however, Comstock missed Mexico immensely. He knew intuitively that one day he would return. He only needed an excuse. He found it in the legend of Quetzlcoatl, the plumed serpent.

According to native mythology Quetzlcoatl, also known as Yoalli ehecatl, was the third son of the Lord of Fire and Time. He was given to bring hope and light to the Nahuatl, a tribal people in this region, in the same way his three brothers were given to three other peoples. When he betrayed his father, he was to be banished forever.

Comstock’s intent on this journey had been to find contacts who would be useful guides to the actual places where Quetzlcoatl was born, grew up, lived and died, even though most legends say that the god/man simply “went away” and never died at all.

CONTINUED